Steering system for motor vehicles

• US 4,412,594 A
• Filed: 08/25/1981
• Issued: 11/01/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sano, Shoichi, Furukawa, Yoshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pekar, John A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fugate, D. Lynn
• Application Number:
  US06/296,070
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 180/140, 180/141, 180/142, 180/143
• US Class Current: 180/414
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/1581 characterised by comprising an electrical interconnecting system between the steering control means of the different axles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/159 characterised by computing methods or stabilisation processes or systems, e.g. responding to yaw rate, lateral wind, load, road condition

Abstract

A motor vehicle steering system for steering rearward wheels as well as forward wheels. The steering system includes a sensor for sensing at least a turning motion of the motor vehicle, a computer for processing signals from the sensor, and an actuator controllable by the computer for steering the rearward wheels in order to meet driving conditions of the vehicle while turning, as much as possible. The sensor may comprise a lateral acceleration or yaw angular velocity sensor, or a combination of a steering angle sensor and a lateral acceleration or yaw angular velocity sensor, or a combination of a steering angle sensor and an acceleration and deceleration sensor, or the like. A steered angle ratio γ of the rearward wheels to forward wheels is selected to be in the range of 0<γ≦0.6 when the vehicle is moving at a speed of 80 km/h or higher.

Claims

1. A steering system for a motor vehicle having rearward steered wheels, comprising:

a sensor for sensing at least a turning motion of the vehicle;

drive means responsive to a signal from said sensor for steering the rearward wheels; and

wherein the steered angle ratio γ

of the rearward wheels to forward wheels of the motor vehicle is selected to be in the range of 0<

γ

≦

0.6 when the vehicle is moving at a speed of 80 km/h or higher, so as to provide optimal steering operation characteristics.

2. A steering system according to claim 1, wherein:

said sensor comprises a sensor for sensing a lateral acceleration or yaw angular velocity.

3. A steering system according to claim 1, wherein:

said sensor comprises a combination of a steering angle sensor and a sensor for sensing a lateral acceleration or yaw angular velocity.

4. A steering system according to claim 1, wherein:

said sensor comprises a combination of a steering angle sensor and an acceleration and deceleration sensor.

5. A steering system according to claim 4, further including a vehicle speed sensor.

6. A steering system according to claim 4 or 5, further including a lateral acceleration or yaw rate sensor.

7. A steering system according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein:

said drive means comprises a computer for processing signals from said sensor and an actuator controllable by said computer.